The Most Broken and Difficult Deck: Pidgeot ex Control

There have been some pretty broken control decks in recent memory. I have fond memories of playing [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] control in 2019, winning nearly every game effortlessly, and before that, [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] won tons of major events as the uncontested best deck in the format. Throughout the game’s history, control has been in an interesting spot — in many formats, control is inherently broken, but still the archetype characteristically sees little play in terms of usage stats. At its peak, even Zoroark-GX control was severely underplayed given how overpowered it was. Stall and control decks have always won by utilizing defensive styles, usually taking no Prize cards and running the opponent out of resources or locking them outright.

[cardimg name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

For the past couple of years, these kinds of decks have taken a backseat, almost disappearing entirely because they could not keep up with the demands of a fast and diverse format. Just recently, in the months before this year’s rotation, [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] stall started creeping back up, but most top players avoided it because its matchup spread was terrible… at least against players who knew how to play against it. Nevertheless, it had a few strong results. Then rotation happened, and Snorlax stall performed well at Japan’s Fukuoka Champions League. This worried many players, placing stall high on the hit list for EUIC. Some players also started hyping [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] control, which often gets lumped in with Snorlax stall due to also being a disruptive deck.

At EUIC, Pidgeot ex control managed to get two Top 8 placements, which was a huge overachievement considering it constituted only 2.6% of the field — a negligible amount… negligible until it starts winning, that is. It didn’t take long for people to realize that Pidgeot ex control was far superior to Snorlax stall, which only managed one Top 64 finish at EUIC. Interestingly, Pidgeot ex control was absent from the top placements at the subsequent Orlando Regionals; the top EU control players naturally weren’t at this American tournament. People were, evidently, still worried about the deck, however, as the second place Ancient box list played a Fire Energy so that [card name=”Koraidon” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] could Shred through [card name=”Noivern ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”153″ c=”name”][/card], and the top 8 [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] deck played [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] for the same reason.

Similarity to Past Archetypes

With Pidgeot ex control appearing nowhere near Orlando’s Top 32 and most of the top control players being European, it is once again under the radar for upcoming tournaments, and this unique deck has several characteristics reminiscent of past control decks. Firstly, it’s broken. I think the deck is insanely good right now, and I’ve taken it upon myself to try and learn the deck for the next Regional. It has a terrific matchup spread and also has a decent shot at beating the decks it’s unfavored against. Notably, it’s one of the two decks that consistently beats [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], the far and away best deck in format ([card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] being the other deck that beats Charizard ex).

The second recurring factor of this control deck is that it is extremely difficult to play. Like past control decks, the player must be well-studied on all of the meta decks and card counts. You need to be able to mentally create your opponent’s list in your head so that you know exactly how to play against their deck. Pidgeot ex control is fragile, and one misstep can cost you dearly. It has to account for a multitude of possible game plans from the opponent, making games exponentially more complicated than most matchups that are only concerned with trading blows back and forth. Furthermore, you need to know exactly when to be aggressive, defensive, or simply do nothing. This becomes difficult with how long games drag out, as there are many opportunities to make a mistake. I am far from mastering this deck, and there are times when I question if it’s even possible to do so.

Finally, the deck is almost nonexistent in terms of usage. It is frequently a two-or-three-percent deck in meta shares, which means a few things; players are disincentivized from countering or otherwise worrying about the deck. Furthermore, they are less likely to be practiced in the matchup, which matters a lot. Pidgeot ex control operates so differently from other decks that it will hard-punish players who aren’t prepared. This takes “skill-diff” to a whole other level and will get you lots of free wins. This deck being broken, difficult to play, and severely underplayed therefore makes it similar to past control decks.

The Differences

[cardimg name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”221″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

There’s one main difference; the offensive capabilities. Pidgeot ex control is built to have a unique blend of offensive and defensive strategies.

If I were to oversimplify it, I would say the deck tends to spend the early- and mid-game dawdling around and chipping away at the opponent’s resources, and then blitzes attacks out of nowhere at the end of the game. If you think about it, KO’ing something is a great form of disruption, removing an attacker and several Energy from play, which is in itself resource control. Dealing damage is a fantastic way to apply pressure, forcing more resources from the opponent, even if your goal isn’t to take all six Prize cards directly.

The List

I’ve been using this list, which James Kowalski used to make Day 2 at Orlando (and which I lost against):

[decklist name=”broken deck” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″][pokemon amt=”16″]2x [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pidgey” set=”151″ no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Wigglytuff ex” set=”151″ no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jigglypuff” set=”151″ no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”37″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mawile” set=”Lost Origin” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cleffa” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Chi-Yu ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Luxray V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Klawf ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lumineon V” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]4x [card name=”Arven” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”166″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Penny” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Miss Fortune Sisters” set=”Lost Origin” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Eri” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Rebel Clash” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Yell’s Cheer” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cyllene” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mela” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cheren’s Care” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”181″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”196″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hisuian Heavy Ball” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Poffin” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Defiance Vest” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Board” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”159″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hero’s Cape” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”5″]2x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Crown Zenith” no=”153″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Double Turbo Energy” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”151″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mist Energy” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

List Breakdown

There’s a lot going on here.

I haven’t felt the pressing need to change anything yet, but there are some things I’m not quite sure about and some cards I would like to add. This deck aims to set up [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] as quickly as possible and then run your opponent out of resources. Sometimes you take all six Prize cards, and sometimes you don’t. Your game plan is highly dependent on the specific matchup as well as what your opponent decides to do.

[premium]

[cardimg name=”Penny” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”239″ align=right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

One of the key elements of this list is the heavy emphasis on [card name=”Penny” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card]; your main Pokemon that can apply pressure throughout all stages of the game are [card name=”Klawf ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Luxray V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Chi-Yu ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. With a defensive Pokemon Tool card equipped, they can withstand most attacks and then “heal” with Penny. Of course, your Penny loop isn’t infinite if your opponent is attacking you every turn, but it doesn’t have to be. With these specific two-Prize Pokemon, you are pressuring your opponent’s resources, so each use of Penny generates value.

With three [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Cyllene” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Team Yell’s Cheer” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], you have tons of possible Penny uses. It is nearly an infinite recovery loop and is functionally close enough to it. Usually, you need to manage these recovery cards so that you can keep up the chain — Cyllene recovers Pal Pad, Team Yell’s Cheer recovers Cyllene, and Pal Pad recovers both (but usually one and something else). You don’t have to go infinite every game, but you want to keep your options open.

[card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] is more or less a disruption option that can clear several cards off the table in one blow, so if your opponent isn’t prepared for it, it can win games outright. It is a card that generates an insanely efficient amount of value — sometimes you can get two Prize cards slowly over the course of the game and use Radiant Charizard for a quick burst to take the remaining four. There’s no definitive way to use this card, and the beauty is in its versatility. [card name=”Mela” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card] gives the deck more flexibility by allowing you to go in with Radiant Charizard at multiple different points of the game. I’m not convinced that it’s better than [card name=”Magma Basin” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] though, but the upside of Mela is that it can be used with any Pokemon, effectively giving this deck more Energy as it plays few already. In particular, Mela can be useful with [card name=”Wigglytuff ex” set=”151″ no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Mawile” set=”Lost Origin” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card]. Magma Basin frees up your Supporter use for the turn, but can only be used with your Fire-types, and it also doesn’t have the restriction of requiring something to have just been KO’d, so it’s probably worth trying Magma Basin over Mela.

Wigglytuff ex is an efficient monster that is a catch-all solution to any situation, particularly unexpected or unusual circumstances, as well as fringe matchups that you’re not sure how to deal with. With [card name=”Hero’s Cape” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mist Energy” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card], Wigglytuff ex is an invincible monster with 450 HP and still two-shots everything besides [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] (which you don’t use it against anyway). It can take two hits from most Pokemon, and then you can heal it with [card name=”Cheren’s Care” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]. Of course, if Cheren’s Care is prized, Wigglytuff ex’s usefulness is severely limited, so you’ll have to be careful about using it in that case. Wigglytuff ex is a solid way to apply pressure via damage and works well against the likes of Ancient box and [card name=”Roaring Moon ex” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] (if they don’t have [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card]). It’s essentially a better [card name=”Noivern ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”153″ c=”name”][/card], although Noivern ex does do some things that Wigglytuff ex doesn’t — I’d still argue that Wigglytuff ex simply does more. Notably, it does not get shredded by [card name=”Koraidon” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] and does meaningful damage.

[cardimg name=”Klawf ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”120″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Klawf ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] is another interesting Pokemon that is useful in a variety of situations; like Wigglytuff ex, you can use it against basically anything that doesn’t one-shot it, and with Mist Energy, it can be useful against Roaring Moon ex. You nearly always want to equip [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card], or in some cases, Hero’s Cape. Unlike Wigglytuff ex, Klawf ex is an important piece in the Charizard ex matchup. Since most Charizard ex lists play [card name=”Prime Catcher” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card] over [card name=”Maximum Belt” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card], they have no way to one-shot you (aside from five Energy on Radiant Charizard, which can be seen from a mile away and is a terrible idea on their part). When they start attacking with [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Charmeleon” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card], that’s your cue to go in with Klawf ex. Otherwise, [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”37″ c=”name”][/card] is the default.

You may notice that this deck plays Mawile and [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], but permanently locking something in the Active isn’t the deck’s primary win condition — they are simply options that can pressure your opponent’s resources, or come in to close out games once your opponent is running low on countermeasures. If you try to spam trap from the get-go, it will not work in most matchups, since you only have one Mawile and one Snorlax. That is what Snorlax stall tries to do, and this deck does so less efficiently, so then you’d be a strictly worse Snorlax stall. Most games require an integrated and varied approach with all of the options at your disposal.

Matchups

The Charizard ex Matchup

The [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is interesting and complex. I’ve been playing this matchup quite a lot lately, and I’m confident that [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] is ultimately favored, but it’s tricky to play. There are many ways the matchup can play out, depending on your Prize cards and what your opponent decides to do. As a general rule of thumb, your most important pieces are Mimikyu, [card name=”Luxray V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card], and Klawf ex. The matchup heavily revolves around their one copy of [card name=”Lost Vacuum” set=”Lost Origin” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card]; If they use it too early, such as to take a tempting two-Prize KO, then Mimikyu with [card name=”Defiance Vest” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] will solo them, therefore, it is fine to aggressively play your Pokemon Tools down. If the opponent dares to take the bait, you hard-pivot into Mimikyu with DefianceVest and win the game for free.

Against the [card name=”Regieleki” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] variant that can recycle Lost Vacuum and anything else, you always want Luxray V ready to go. Luxray V entirely negates Regieleki — as long as you can always use Fang Snipe following their Electromagnetic Sonar, the matchup becomes trivial. The Regieleki version also typically plays fewer [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card], which makes Pidgeot ex somewhat safer. You need Pidgeot ex more urgently at all times against that matchup so that you can manage Luxray V; in the Regieleki vs. Luxray V face-off, you come out way ahead because you can fully set up and infinite your resources while those two Lightning-type Pokemon are negating each other. Also, Luxray V eventually KO’s Regieleki, though it is usually better to spam Boss’s Orders to gust and avoid giving them the damage boost.

I usually put [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] on my [card name=”Rotom V” set=”Lost Origin” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] instead of [card name=”Forest Seal Stone” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] so that they cannot pick up that easy KO with [card name=”Choice Belt” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card], but, of course, if I need to use Forest Seal Stone to set up Pidgeot ex, that takes priority. At the beginning of the game, you prefer Luxray V if your hand can support it and if you have Pidgeot ex set up. Luxray V ensures that they have no useful cards in hand, and it strips away crucial pieces such as Boss’s Orders. Even though [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] is invincible, it does nothing, but Luxray V applies pressure and is functionally invincible as long as you can use [card name=”Penny” set=”Scarlet and Violet” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card] when it gets hit. Of course, once they have nothing useful left, go back into Mimikyu. They will usually use Quick Search for Boss’s Orders to go around the Mimikyu and hit something like your Pidgeot.

[cardimg name=”Cheren’s Care” set=”Crown Zenith GG” no=”GG58″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Cheren’s Care” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] is important to heal Pidgeot ex and effectively forces them to use Boss’s Orders three times to KO one Pidgeot ex, which is usually fine. [card name=”Hero’s Cape” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] can also be equipped on a damaged Pidgeot ex to take it out of two-shot range. It can be difficult to set up Pidgeot ex again once it gets picked up Cheren’s Care, and if you prize a [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], you might not even bother with it. You don’t need Pidgeot ex at all times in this matchup, but you have to be careful without it. Furthermore, your first Quick Search sometimes goes straight for [card name=”Mist Energy” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] to slam on Pidgeot ex to prevent a [card name=”Technical Machine: Devolution” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card] play. If you have a read on your opponent’s list or have a pressing urgency for something else, however, it can be acceptable to forego it for a while. Around half of lists play Technical Machine: Devolution, which means that half don’t — the winning lists from both EUIC and Orlando do not play Technical Machine: Devolution.

[card name=”Klawf ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] is useful if they are attacking with [card name=”Charmander” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Charmeleon” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card], forcing them out of that attacker is pressuring their resources, and allows Mimikyu to come back in. This, in turn, forces more resources if they want to pivot back into Charmander or Charmeleon. I often want to save [card name=”Defiance Vest” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] as I don’t want it to get hit by Lost Vacuum, plus Defiance Vest is one of the most powerful instant-win conditions, so I’d rather wait for them to use Lost Vacuum on something else. I often have [card name=”Bravery Charm” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] on my first Mimikyu to prevent Charmander and Charmeleon (or two Charmeleon attacks) from KO’ing it. If they use Lost Vacuum on that, it’s fine, as I will simply recover Mimikyu and slap a Defiance Vest on it. The longer the game goes on, the more likely it is to hit the Lost Vacuum with [card name=”Eri” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Miss Fortune Sisters” set=”Lost Origin” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card].

Your game plan varies a bit when you hit something useful like Lost Vacuum or [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”188″ c=”name”][/card] off of Eri or Miss Fortune Sisters; the main principle is to keep track of their resources and recognize what they can no longer do once certain cards are gone. If you know this, you can react accordingly and punish them. It can be hard to tell when to go in with cards like [card name=”Chi-Yu ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], Miss Fortune Sisters, and Eri. In general, Miss Fortune Sisters and Chi-Yu ex are better later, but if they keep important cards in their deck, your mill cards have a high success rate later on. If they put important cards into their hand, you will punish them with Eri and [card name=”Luxray V” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card]. I often use Luxray V early and then lay off for a while, however, you do want to periodically check with Luxray V. You can punish them hard for taking important Supporters off of Quick Search or accidentally top-decking them. Using Fang Snipe immediately after an [card name=”Iono” set=”Paldean Fates” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] can also be a strong play.

Somewhat counter-intuitively, your game plan is not to trap something like with [card name=”Snorlax” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] stall; you only have one [card name=”Mawile” set=”Lost Origin” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] and one Snorlax, and [card name=”Charizard ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] lists play too many switching cards these days. At a minimum, you can expect [card name=”Prime Catcher” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card] and two ways to use [card name=”Professor Turo’s Scenario” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card]. The tournament-winning Charizard ex list plays two Professor Turo’s Scenario and a [card name=”Team Yell’s Cheer” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], though they typically have to spend Team Yell’s Cheer on a [card name=”Boss’s Orders” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] or two. Other lists play [card name=”Regieleki” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] for essentially infinite resources, and that forces an immediate Luxray V response. Of course, you can try retreat-locking them if they ever run out of answers.

Other Matchups

[cardimg name=”Eri” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”210″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The [card name=”Chien-Pao ex” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] matchup can be scary, but you have enough disruption to deal with it. Trapping something like [card name=”Radiant Greninja” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Bibarel” set=”Brilliant Stars” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] in the Active is great — they play limited outs; [card name=”Canceling Cologne” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] (for Snorlax), Prime Catcher, and [card name=”Cyllene” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]. That said, they can do a lot of damage with those, so you need lots of supplemental disruption. Eri, Miss Fortune Sisters, and Luxray V are important for slowing them down and ensuring they don’t have enough resources to win the game. [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] is also helpful with [card name=”Hero’s Cape” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card]; you can put it in front of their Chien-Pao ex to waste some Energy, but be aware of Canceling Cologne if they still have it left.

The [card name=”Lugia VSTAR” set=”Silver Tempest” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is terrible, but you can try to make some stuff happen with [card name=”Klawf ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Wigglytuff ex” set=”151″ no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Radiant Charizard” set=”Pokemon GO” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card].

The [card name=”Giratina VSTAR” set=”Lost Origin” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is unfavored, but if they have a slow start (as I did in Orlando), you have a decent chance to win. Early Luxray V and Eri are the priority, as they have zero control over what important cards they have at the beginning of the game, and they also can’t get value from them early. Every time, Prime Catcher, Boss’s Orders, and [card name=”Mirage Gate” set=”Lost Origin” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] sit there waiting to be discarded. Radiant Charizard is also quite useful in this matchup as it can remove several Energy along with their Giratina VSTAR. [card name=”Mist Energy” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] and Hero’s Cape or [card name=”Defiance Vest” set=”Paradox Rift” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] help protect your [card name=”Pidgeot ex” set=”Obsidian Flames” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card], and if they use [card name=”Temple of Sinnoh” set=”Astral Radiance” no=”155″ c=”name”][/card] too early, you can punish them by trapping something with Snorlax if they turn off their [card name=”Jet Energy” set=”Paldea Evolved” no=”190″ c=”name”][/card].

The number one card I want to add is a second copy of [card name=”Eri” set=”Temporal Forces” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] — it’s too impactful in many matchups, so you can be screwed if it’s prized.

That’s all I have for now. Thanks for reading! If you’re up for a challenge with a suitable reward, give this deck a shot!

[/premium]